


Like Fog Between His Fingers

by OreoPromises



Category: History (Band), K-pop
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Fae, Fae & Fairies, M/M, Mystery, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2018-10-02 17:14:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10223192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OreoPromises/pseuds/OreoPromises
Summary: Jaeho has always had the ability to jump to different times and places; sadly this is out of his control. Now he finds himself amongst familiar faces, heading into dangerous territory.Gil- An infamous fae known for his fortune.Sihyoung- A trickster working as a bartender, with a nack for secrets.Dokyun- A temperamental werewolf, the owner of a fae den.But why can't he remember when he was here last? What made him forget... and why has a human became the interest of Gil?





	1. The Den

**Author's Note:**

> L  
> My instagram: andthesunranon

A man with falling grey hair walked along in the dark, fog rippling around his frame as he passed under the lamps placed at intervals along the alley. He had been here before, he was sure. Jaeho rarely visited anywhere completely new to him- having lived so long, he was doubtful such a place existed. That long life was exactly what provided him with the information that at the present moment, and era if he wasn't mistaken, he was walking into Gil territory. 

Gil. How long had it been since their last encounter, J wondered. He had no way of knowing. Time to him wasn't constant, wasn't traceable, wasn't set in stone.  
He reached the end of the dingy alley just as a passerby turned into it. With light, skilled fingers J plucked the dark rimmed hat from the stranger, dropping it easily on his own head. It wasn't much of a disguise, but he doubted he'd need one in the den, if it still stood.

At the alley’s end a mundane building of cracked grey stone, the kind that made it blend in with the fog and with the cobblestones, lurked in the shadows. No noise or light escaped through the broken panes of the windows. Jaeho knew this to be an illusion- through the door there lay a fae den, ran by a man known as ‘Gil’, infamous in these parts for his fortune (in both senses of the word: he could be beaten in no wager and although everyone within the surrounding provinces new him to be a crook, he had never been arrested).

Jaeho could only use memory to guide him getting admitted into the den- unless he had fallen within a decade of his last visit he would inevitably fail, the way through would have changed. But something must have pulled him back here. This damned city never slept for long.

Stealing his courage, the traveler dislodged one of the smaller cobblestones from below his feet and threw it purposefully at the doors brass knocker, formed like two intertwined falling feathers. Within seconds a huge man had appeared in the doorway. He was supposed to ask what the brat at his door thought he was doing, in a thuggish way, but Jae took a risk and flashed his eyes before the man could open his mouth. Silver, like mercury, and void of pupils. 

Startled into taking a step back, the man cleared the way to the den. As he passed the guard Jaeho laid a pitying hand on the high shoulder. Just as his hand found it's place the world melted around him, transformed instantly to a glinting bar and gambling house. 

The room was painted the burgundy of rose thorns but seemed to bleed into a lilac haze around your peripheral. White hot flames danced everywhere: the only sources of light in the dimness hung in the air or on tabletops without a source, and illuminated the brass gambling tables and plush leather bar. 

Scoping out the room, Jae made his way subtly through the crowd which seemed to heave everywhere. Though he tried not to draw anyone's attention, his sharp fae features quickly pulled eyes from all over the room. By the time he reached the bar and sat gracefully, a dozen pairs of eyes were glued to his lean frame, watching his dark eyes and fair complexion which with his fae blood seemed to be illuminated from some internal source. 

The man at the bar turned as he heard the charged whispering of the fae around him- Jae bristled, seeing the look in the eyes following him. Being the longings of a fae was dangerous. Focus.

The man at the bar had a feline face; dark hair was styled straight over his forehead and matched by dark makeup at the corners of his lively eyes. J ordered a drink upon the expectant look he was given. Slim fingers pushed the coloured glass over the bar as the tall man drawled in a thick accent ‘It’s on the house, for the pretty new prey.’ Dark eyes glinted, holding flames.

‘The name's Jaeho.’ He sipped at the colourless liquid handed to him- it was fruity but strong, burning the back of your throat as every faerie drink did. 

‘Sihyoung.’ The stranger returned. For the first time Jaeho noticed dark tattoos drifting down the man's forearm, revealed where his white shirt was pushed up to his elbows. The falling feathers resembled that of the den’s logo, branded onto brass at the entrance, but were accompanied by many tiny wild flowers and symbols from some ancient language J was unfamiliar with. As Jaeho watched they moved, curling slowly around the unmarked skin to change the design. A trickster? 

The slow smile spreading to his tilted eyes confirmed the thought. An odd wave of relief washed over Jaeho: these creatures were strangely easier to deal with than his own kind, whom he generally avoided in the place of more trustworthy companions.

‘Got quite a few eyes on you, new to town?’ A threat lingered on the edge of his tongue- nothing stayed in the dark long around here, and newcomers were always looked on with suspicion.  
‘You could say that.’  
Jaeho turned his head from the gleaming rows of teeth, his eyes finding at last the one person he had hoped (if that's what the emotion lying on his nerves was) to find in his new environment.

Gil stood with his hands firmly laid on a table in the dead centre of the den, leaning forward over a cluster of glasses and cards. He wore a silver jacket, embroidered in patterns of gold, and his choppy hair was darker than J had saw it last. Black in fact, which matched the much smaller figure of a boy sat before him, his wiry back to Jaeho. 

One glance told him the boy was in trouble- the majority of the cards were facing up in his direction, their painted faces catching the flame floating between the two players. He reached for his drink with a drawn out sigh, revealing in his movements a curious truth to Jaeho (who had moved closer to their table in order to discern what was happening)- the boy was human. 

Many of them had wandered unawares into the bar through the years, but as far as J knew they had all been turned away at the door by the guard or (if said employee was exceptionally drunk that day) by one of the staff constantly tracking every body weaving through the crowds. But this one was sat with a drink. Playing. Sat with Gil. 

Perhaps times had changed the den during the interval J had been away, but even while he tried to convince himself of this, a peculiar buzz filled his head, as if a voice was pushing at the boundaries of his fractured mind.  
Focus.


	2. Of Auras and Falls

As the boy took another long draw from his glass, he turned around and met Jaeho’s eyes. The player was definitely human, with sharp cheekbones and a thin face too harsh and tough to tell of fae blood- his eyes were dark and shadowed by his ruffled hair, filled with an enticing mix of exhaustion and energy. It seemed he had been playing at the table for the very first time tonight, unable to escape the draw of faerie magic.   
His voice was as unique as his appearance, surprisingly deep and nasal-  
“Wanna play?”

Startled by the request, Jae’s eyes unwisely flashed up to Gil’s, the taller still leaning motionless over the table of cards. A dangerous smirk played along his lips as he sensed a new fae in his den, one that knew dominance and how to avoid intruding on those with more power than him.

Wordless, his eyes dragged towards a seat to the humans left, where J could play. His opponent looked relieved at the added player (how much had he bet on this game, Jaeho wondered). If Gil recognised Jaeho as the younger removed his hat in his presence, he didn’t show it openly.

“Yi Jeong” he heard as he sat, a skeleton-thin hand finding its way into his vision “and you?”

Trying desperately to repress the waves of dread and confusion from his own body in case their observer caught them, Jaeho shook Yi Jeong’s hand and gave his own name- fairies did not introduce themselves like this, asking a Fae for their name was a mistake and the boy had done so with no thought. The truth hit Jae like a punch in the stomach. The boy did not know where he was.

He would lose the game for him. He had to.

Just as Gil placed more cards on the table, a man slipped into the pool of light encasing their spot in the bar’s centre, sitting without waiting for permission. His thoughtlessness made Jae stare openly at the intruder, until he took in the man's features and his gaze dropped immediately to the tabletop.

This man was not fae either. Such features would never been found in the fae; the large eyes, the round cheeks, the soft edges curving everywhere. Something about how the man moved told Jae he was far from human however, a peculiar heaviness hinting at strength despite his apparent lack of muscle. Gil impatiently lowered his eyes to the table in front of the man, seeming displeased.

  
“Dokyun.” His eyes moved to the man's face, topped with hair tinted red. “What do you want?”  
Dokyun’s eyebrows lowered slightly, but he made no move to challenge the fae on his rudeness.   
“We need to talk about the east quarter. Three more people have disappeared this week, two werewolves and one fae.” A warm voice replied. The last time Jaeho had been to the city, its occupants were mixed as well; slowly he remembered the city was cut sharply into four quarters, a different combination of species populating each (though fae, whose race run the city, thrived in each). The human of course, was unaware.

  
“Can’t you see we are in the middle of a game, Dokyun? Leave this buisness for later and you’ll have my full attention.”  
“Don’t ignore me- this is important, Gil.”

Jea flinched at the use of the fae’s name, though the older didn’t move and he soon realised the two were equal in power. Curiosity finally faded as in his anger Dokyun’s aura changed.

Dominance and frustration now emitted from the man so strongly that the human next to Jae shifted in his seat, unaware of the silent struggle before him and still being effected. Dokyun was smart to keep his appearance in check for his witness, yet Jaeho’s trained eyes found his ears had perked forward slightly, revealing more clearly their subtly pointed shape, his pupils dilating. So that’s what he was….  
  
Sensing the anger he had evoked, Gil responded with his own wave of energy, traces of compulsion lining the emission like lace drifting through the air. The werewolf’s ears turned red with rage as he flung himself from his seat, muttering of how he was the one to run this accursed den, heading straight towards the bar. Jae’s hierarchy fell into place once more: he may have owned the bar, but Gil was the one to wear the crown.

The blinding smile the latter had sent Dokyun along with his compulsion fell as he turned back to the players, waiting for the game to commence. Like nothing had happened, he plucked the cards up once more.

As the game continued- Gil flipping cards over in practised patterns the human seemed to have no grasp of- Jae slowly ensured Yi Jeong would win. Sure enough when the human finally slouched in his seat the pack was turned in crosses that all faced Jae. He couldn't be sure that Gil’s seeming oblivion to his tactics was true, the leader of Fae sectors were far wiser than they ever revealed and this particular one was a master of gambling and deals.

His face remained unchanged as he showed his full height, smoothing down his jacket needlessly. The wager had not been stated when Jae sat down, but he feared not the consequences of tricking a den leader.

“What's the price of the game, Sir?” He addressed Gil, careful to keep his eyes locked on the other’s with what he hoped was admiration. Something whispered in his head that Gil didn't take kindly to rowdy young Fae. The smile that was directed towards him was unnerving in its brightness nonetheless- beside him he even felt a wave of energy, too fast and alcohol-dimmed to pick apart radiate from the winner- as Gil replied with a charm only the fae could show:

“For a new customer, all I ask is that you buy our friend here another drink.” With this he pointed to Yi Jeong, the younger seemingly startled by the amity of the gambler. “Gentlemen.” Gil slipped from the table with one last look at Yi Jeong, his expression hidden by his sudden exit from the flame’s light.

Looking back at the bar and Sihyoung, currently slipping a trio of coloured cocktails to a group leaning in too close to him over the bar, Jae’s heart froze. Time seemed to stop again.

Buying a drink was far from the amiable task it seemed- Yi Jeong's jaded eyes were already lided, his small mouth tilted in a subtle grin. The boy was human: fae drinks weren't made for him and his body would respond to the foreign liquids like a drug. There was only so much a human could take of the burning drinks before they slipped into madness or delirium, the lucky ones escaping the addiction that was then often awoken. Buying him a drink would just heighten the vulnerability the young boy was already showing, in a den full of watchful fae.

As he opened his mouth to address the prey, he noticed Gil stood upright in the darkness of the back of the club, his stance telling Jae he was being watched. He dared not disobey the other- he must figure out why he was here again and this was clearly a test from his fellow fae, of higher rank than himself. Dread circled in his veins again as Jaeho tried to decide if this sick game had been caused by the row with the den owner or darker, hidden intentions.

“I guess this round's on me.” He smiled at Yi Jeong, hoping his smile was different from Gil’s and comforting to the swaying male. He left him at the table, wary of any emotions radiating from the human on his path to the bar. Two tumblers already rested on the counter, Sihyoung simply waiting to receive the money from Jae before turning to yet more orders.

Careful not to drop the drinks in the churning sea of bodies, Jae made his way back to the central table. Upon receiving his second faerie drink, Yi Jeong squealed alarmingly in contentment and emptied his glass at once. Jae could do nothing but try and retain his facial expression as he sensed the boy's aura haze further. He saw with dread that Gil’s form in the darkness simply shooed him lazily back to the bar. Calculating in his head if he could get Sihyoung to weaken the effects of the fae drinks, Jae searched along the wall for the inked trickster.

When he found him, he also found Dokyun. The wolf's hands were in fists at his sides, Sihyoung’s hand hovering near the other's arm. The barman seemed to be humming, low, and his slouched posture made him appear shorter than the wolf.

Questioning how to proceed, Jaeho twisted to check on his charge. Yi Jeong was no longer at the table. The cards had been pushed to one side until they tumbled to the burgundy carpet, and with a start Jaeho saw that all the glasses (including his own he had abandoned from the disgust he felt at himself) were all drained and overturned.

Pushing his way back to his seat gave him just enough time to glimpse a hand as it disappeared around a corner. The back wall had, it seemed, concealed a corridor that the entrance to had been masked in darkness. Finding himself stumbling along it blindly, Jae followed what he hoped were trails of Yi Jeong’s energy.

A door stood ajar in front of the fae, bathing the hall dimly in a bloody light. The gap provided just enough room for Jae to see into the room beyond, which he guessed was an office of some description- the human sat on a wooden chair, his head lulling back and his mouth parting. Gil stood above him, watching his face with one hand on the back of the chair behind Yi Jeong’s head, face as blank as ever. Jae realised that the lack of aura he could sense from the fae was not unusual- the fae king disconcertingly hadn’t revealed any emotion since Jaeho had entered the den, compulsion being the only thing J had sensed (stronger than that of any fae he had so far encountered, though he had been aware of this from the start, as if that detail had remained etched in his memory from last time). Frightened, Jae backed away from the door into the den once more.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to upload! The next part should be up soon- I plan on posting this weekend, but it will definelty be up by the end of next week if not. There's going to be more of this than I anticipated....  
> Thanks for reading! xx


	3. The First Flaw

The next night Jae finds himself returning to the den. His day had been spent strolling through the cities quarters and narrow alleys, rediscovering secrets from an age ago. Upon arriving in a new place, J always spent the day stumbling through the revisited setting, looking for the tell-tale signs that time had passed. During the earlier years this had been a comfort- to see time still ticked on, to be able to see the changes in things, discover new surroundings- yet now it merely depressed him; time would tick by, without him. Places and people would change and he’d be stuck in an inescapable shifting timeline. J had debated leaving the sightseeing out completely. But it was vital now. He must know how long it had been since he was here last, if he was to discover why he was back. Something seemed wrong here.

Yet… nothing had changed. As he surveyed the buildings, the streets, even the faces around him he found nothing startling or different. Of course he still couldn’t remember why this city was important, what had happened, though it was as if he was existing in the same time as he had then… Was that possible? He had never lived through an era twice. 

The entrance to the den was identical. He slipped back into the bar once more to find the trickster still leaning against the marble. This wasn’t surprising- whereas Jaeho required far less sleep than others (believing this to be a small advantage of his rare lifestyle), tricksters could survive without it all together. As J again settled in one of the stools he found Sihyoung’s eyes still glinted, his ink still swirled, as lively as the previous night.

“Back again?” The deep voice questioned- the bar being relatively empty at the earlier hour, he made no move to pour the fae a drink this time- grin sliding into place again.

In place of an answer Jae turned his head to the side, hesitating one last time before stating “I like this place.” He moved his eyes back to those watching him, drawing in a breath as if in slight embarrassment “I may have been a little distracted last night, I’m looking for a job. Do you know if there’s a position available?”

Before, this plan had seemed like the safest (and least suspicious) option to stay around the den. Jae tried to ignore the shocked, amused look in the eyes that bore into him where he sat, tried not to let his mind evaluate the fact they ran down and back up his figure analytically. There was even a laugh in Sihyoung’s voice as he said “Let me ask the owner.” 

He flicked his hair from where it had fell in one eye, pushing himself off the bar and entering an office whose door was set into the back wall. A minute ticked by before he reappeared with Dokyun walking in front of him. Differing from the night before, the wolf was smiling slightly, the warmth in his expression revealing further the warmth in his wolf eyes, his wolf skin. Even his voice echoed sunshine, and J almost couldn’t focus with how different this being was to his own- “You are looking for a job, young fae?”

Unsure of how to respond, J glanced fleetingly at Sihyoung slightly behind the man, but the trickster’s eyes were firmly planted on the ground. Strange. He decided to answer as simply as possible, Dokyun’s open face being hard to read. “Yes Sir.” 

Disconcertingly, the owner's eyes repeated Sihyoung’s inspection. “Well, with your appearance I would suggest you would be more suited to one of Gil’s other establishments-” though a chill went through Jaeho at this, Sihyoung shifted on his feet slightly, a small sound escaping from his lips, and the ghost of a strange smile tugged at the speaker’s mouth “- but if the bar is best suited to your taste, we could do with more staff.” As if comforted by this agreement, Sihyoung moved forward to stand by Dokyun’s shoulder, who turned to face his employee as he finished “The bar has been getting a lot more interest since we hired this one.” Laying a hand on the babbling trickster’s shoulders, he retreated back to his office with a smile that J averted his eyes from. It looked oddly satisfied, private.

Being merciful to Sihyoung, whose neck was turning an alarming shade of red, (though taking this opportunity to speak as he wished) Jae spoke again- “So when do I start, Sihyoungie?”  

The other boy didn’t seem to care about the comfortable language, instead mumbling a rather breathy “You hardly seem busy now.”

Jae had dressed for the job, his suspicion that Gil wouldn’t provide his staff with a uniform proving to be correct, in a white shirt and black trousers to match Sihyoung’s. The clothes being stolen, however, meant they clung to his skin in a way that he was sure a few fae would notice. Bracing himself for the long nights to come, he tried to pay attention as Sihyoung showed him how to mix the more basic drinks available. 

The night passed in a blur of orders and tips, with Jaeho and Sihyoung clumsily trying to adapt to the limited space behind the den’s bar. At the end of the night- with neither Gil or Yi Jeong, whose name still lingered in Jaeho’s brain like a whisper, having showed their face- Dokyun reappeared from his office and sat at the bar with Sihyoung and his new employee. He leaned close to Sihyoung warmly, and even thanked Jae for a day of hard work.

***

The bar was heaving once again. Seemingly it was busy enough every night for every seat (except for the rare occasions Gil appeared for a drink, when a group would instantly dissipate to leave a free table) and every free space around the corners of the room to be full of fae. According to Sihyoung, Jae was ‘good for business’, and even he had to admit he had seen more and more customers approach him nightly, interest more obvious in some than others; on more than one occasion he had stuck close to Sihyoung's side as the trickster tried to distract one of the more direct buyers. 

Jae tried not to think of the last weeks events as he grew to realise all the customers he had served so far were fae, every face staring back at him from the room’s edges eerily beautiful. He quickly grew wary of those places, where the fae slouched against the wall in half darkness, eyes straying over the observed bodies bathed in white light before them, tall and cold and keen, dressed in jewels and suits worth more than J would own in a lifetime (if he ever got to  _ own _ anything, that was).

It took five nights for an order to send him into the pulsating crowds, fighting his way to the frames he dreaded at the room’s perimeter with a tray of drinks ordered at least a half hour previously. As he neared the group of three, he read it in their watching eyes: they had been waiting for him.

His breathing hitched as he forced his eyes to the ground, wordlessly closing the distance between them. The closest to him was a towering man in his late twenties, from his appearance, with blonde hair and a suit of deep emerald and black. His amber eyes were lined with black and latched on to Jaeho in a way that made his skin crawl, the orange glinting brighter as he grabbed his drink from the tray “I haven’t seen this one before. Rather lovely, isn’t he?”

His question was directed towards the two spectators, a man and a women dressed just as well with eyes just as eager, running hungrily over Jae’s shirt and face. A low hiss escaped the two's lips in response. As Jae attempted to twist and hand the couple their drinks quickly, he felt a hand snake across his waist. His chin was pulled so that he was met with the amber man's eyes again, a tilt to his lips as he drawled “I don’t know if you’ve seen the rooms round back yet, boy.” Trying to turn and empty the drinks once more, J found his free hand gripped at the wrist, the taller man’s mouth at his ear. “How about I show you around your new workplace?” 

A fog descended over Jaeho’s vision, blurring the corners of everything. He was pulled closer to the man, whose hand was moving slow up his trapped arm roughly, enough for Jae to feel the threat in his touch. When he jerked his wrist back it was only to hear the tray and drinks, glass shattering, fall to the floor. His back hit the wall harshly, a much taller frame pushing him into the shadows with an arm on his stomach, another at his neck. He could see the other two fae, crowding closer to peer around the man excitedly. Dilated pupils swam before his face, want rolling so strongly off the fae pressing into him in waves that his head spun, his body weakening. 

“I’m a customer, sub, it wasn’t a request.” Just as his arm slipped lower, fingers trailing Jaeho's thigh, the man was wrenched away from the wall. Gulping breaths of air, Jaeho watched as Dokyun’s figure was revealed behind the stumbling man, lean frame all rage in the light from a nearby table. As the fae finally found his footing, the wolf ripped through the charged air and the fae fell on all fours from the force of a blow to his cheek. The wolf's head snapped around, a low growl directed at the fae who stood too close to J. They scattered, the emerald-clad man rising to exit with his scurrying friends, staring in contempt at Dokyun as he walked. The wolf had moved to stand before Jaeho, still against the wall in the shadows, ears perked forward and head high. A low growl sounded from his throat until the trio had disappeared from sight. 

Jaeho could feel the energy crackling across the elder’s skin as he surveyed his newest staff member, peering closely at his neck and eyes, concerned. The rage had vanished in a blink, yet the warmth in his voice was harder to place than normal “Go sit in my office, I’ll have Sihyoungie clean this up. They won’t get in here again.” As Jae moved shakily back through the flames he heard Dokyun mutter a quiet “I should go tell Gil.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading again! I hope you're still enjoying this as it seems like it is going to have at least three more chapters and I only have a rough plan with a really basic idea of where this is heading... Same timings apply as last time- within two weeks the next chapter should be posted.


	4. The Things Missing

Jaeho stumbled through the corridor leading away from the bar, fumbling with the handle of Dokyun’s office before entering through its proper door. His legs still shook, his vision still heightened disorientingly by adrenaline, but he found his way to one of the seats. Dokyun’s wide desk was in front of him, leather seat overturned from where he must have ran from it moments previously, with the door through to the bar obvious behind it- Jae realised with a start Dokyun must have been told of the trouble by Sihyoung, the younger watching Jae from behind the bar in unexpected wariness. Even as the thought presented itself, the door opened slightly to reveal the trickster's head coming around the doorframe. Wordlessly he looked at Jae, the ever present slyness gone from his face, eyes wider in… concern? Jae gave a curt nod and Sihyoung let out a breath, his lips pressed together tight as he returned to his station.  

Minutes passed before the door behind Jae opened again and where he had expected one figure, stood two. Dokyun had evidently told Gil of the customers he had thrown form the bar, the elder following him into the office. The space suddenly looked a lot smaller, the tall fae towering over Jaeho as he turned in his seat, another immaculate black suit adding to the overwhelming feeling of intimidation gathering tight in J’s chest. Dokyun rounded the desk and, turning his seat upright once more, sat, warm eyes resting on Jae in silent encouragement. Gratitude washed over the younger as the owner spoke first:

“This is Jaeho, Gil, though I’m sure I can handle this problem by myself.”Though the last part of his was mumbled it was blunt enough for Jae’s breath to catch. Gil didn’t respond however, continuing to stare down at Jaeho.

“How long have you been working here- I’m assuming Dokyun hired you” a wave of anger, weak but obvious, rolled of Gil as his eyes flicked to the observing owner “because I certainly did not.”

“This is my 5th night, Sir.” He tried to maintain eye contact, though this was becoming increasingly difficult, especially when the addressed eyes lit, monotonously noting:

“Oh. I remember you- you played at the table with the human boy. Terrible card player, almost didn’t believe you were fae.” Jae squirmed in his seat as he felt his eyes shift to mercury, pulled into place by the older , helpless to stop the exposure. The slow smile that weighed on one side of Gil's lips was accompanied by another flare in his eyes (still perfectly human to the eye), an unnamed emotion stirring the depths just out of Jea’s reach. Once again, he felt a peculiar shadow in his mind. Voices just out of reach, shadows burned away by the sun. Gil was the anchor which trapped him in this wretched replay, as he was growing sure it was, but what that meant still had Jae in the dark. What was the older thinking?

“What a charming colour.” Jae’s skin crawled as the elder finally stepped back a pace, hands shoved in his pockets. Relief mingled with these feelings as a knock on the door drew Gil’s eye.

“He’s here, Sir.” Travelled faintly through the wood.

The wide smile Gil had shown at the gambling table returned. It should have cut away some of the tension in the air, but Jae hated that smile. It’s beauty only made his nature- how easy it was for him to play with people, how dangerous he was- more cutting. “Keep working at the bar then, Jaeho, it seems you have intrigued some of my customers and it would be a shame to lose such staff. Dokyun” the forgotten man stood as Gil finally retreated from the room, with one last thought “I’ll leave you to deal with this incident, then. I’m sure you can use that little trickster of yours.” If the fae heard the faint growl induced, he ignored it.

Jaeho’s confusion only grew as the wolf turned towards the second door, breathing “That little trickster still knows more about your customers than you do, of course I’d ask him” lowly. Sihyoung reappeared before Dokyun's knuckles found the wood, slipping carefully into the office. Either the bar had been closed early, or the only other bartender had convinced one of the bouncers to fill for him. Jae silently prayed for the unlucky soul who took his place.  The odd harmony between the two returned as both wolf and trickster sat (with Sihyoung pulling a chair up next to Jae’s), the latter not waiting to be asked for his help.

“The fae that cornered Jaeho has been here before- bit of a regular it seems, high up in one of the 1st quarter's fae clans. The other two don’t seem to be anyone special, simply weaker fae from the same group.”

Dokyun nodded patiently, prompting the speaker with “What do you know of their clan?”

“Their infamous- drugs, gambling” with this he paused to shoot Jae an apologetic look, eyes quickly finding a space on the carpet in front of him “amongst worse crimes. They aren’t the kind to frequent the den so I didn’t recognise them, normally they stick to their own quarter, trying to gain power there...I didn’t expect...”

“You didn’t expect them to cause too much trouble.” Dokyun finished, disappointment or weariness heavy in his voice. He sighed loudly; beside Jae, he was sure he saw Sihyoung flinch. When he spoke again, the comfortable way he had called Sihyoung just moments before sent a pang of guilt through Jae.

“Did you clean up the mess?” a quick nod was the only answer, Sihyoung's eyes still trained to the floor. “Did you empty the den?” another sharp nod, and some of the coolness faded from Dokyun’s voice. “Ok. Keep an eye out for fae from the first quarter clan from now on, if you spot any I expect you to tell me immediately, though it shouldn’t be too hard to stop them from getting in at all. I also expect you to keep a closer watch on Jaeho. Endanger him like this again and I’ll punish you for it, understood?”

Despite the more bearable tone of his voice, dominance was still threaded through the wolf’s words and Sihyoung hung his head lower. A low rumble omitted from his chest as his neck became livid again, embarrassed at being scolded in front of someone else he sunk deeper in his seat. Jaeho was quickly realising that his confident way easily evaporated in front of his boss.

“Understood, Dokyun.” His voice was hitched higher than normal and soft. Surprised at the sudden change in his manner, Jae turned to his colleague.

His head hung and slouched, Sihyoung looked much smaller than normal. His legs were even drawn in, together, with his tattooed arms not crossed as usual but laying in his lap. Moments danced through Jae’s mind: a trickster’s lined eyes holding flames; Dokyun’s aura at their first encounter; Dokyun's constant presence at the bar, or near; Sihyoung's hand always hovering just above the others form, never touching. The humming that he had noticed at the bar, when the trickster had been crouching, as he was now, in front of the ill-tempered wolf. Sihyoung always staying behind Dokyun, his eyes away, the other smiling at any reaction his comments drew from the other even when they were mostly out of discomfort. The compliments and blushing, the easy flow of the two, the eerily well-timed comings and goings. It made sense now.

Sihyoung moved to stand and leave the office, back through the door to the now empty den, and J quickly followed. He was eager to put the night's events behind him, and the current show was taking it off his mind. As the door shut behind them he turned Sihyoung to face him, a hand on the trickster's shoulder shocking him out of a daze.

“You’re his mate, aren’t you? You’re his omega?”

If he expected denial, hurt, he didn’t get it. Out of Dokyun’s presence the trickster's charm had returned, his showmanship and sly grin falling back into place with his confidence.

“How forward of you. Yes, I fill that role for him, but this may be a subject for when he can’t hear us.” The trickster pointed back at the door they had just came through, thin enough for some off the bar's noise to reach the hidden room. Taking a step back, Jae nodded his resignation.

Footsteps sounded from nowhere, the sudden noise bouncing from the empty den's walls to reach the bemused barmen. Sihyoung shut his mouth from where it hung open to elaborate as their eyes were drawn to the noise. A figure slunk from the shadows at the club's edges, near the corridor that J had travelled down once before.

Without sparing the others a glance the figure continued out of the bar, but not before Jaeho had gleaned the small build and dark hair of the form, the oddly harsh jawline and tempting eyes. J’s brow drew together as he watched the man, movements fluid and assured. Yi Jeong. But for some reason, J had not sensed his aura.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiiiiiiii ! So this chapter was really just setting things up for the next, things should start moving a little faster from now on. I hope you keep reading and enjoy- again, 2 weeks-, I'm shocked at the attention this has gotten from such a small fandom (or, small on archive). Thank you! :D xx


	5. Time and Time Again

Two weeks had passed before Sihyoung had a day off. Jaeho had been expecting the day sooner- being free himself most days until shadowed hours yet always returning to find the trickster in the den- but Sihyoung had shown no signs of fatigue or resistance. It seemed his schedule was always like this, no rest, no leaving the club, no escape. 

Thinking back to the events of the last week however, Jae couldn’t help but wonder if this was a life he had chosen for himself. 

When Sihyoung had announced his freedom to Jae a few hours previous, throwing the rag in his hands down with relish, he had immediately seized the opportunity he had been waiting for. 

“Are you free tomorrow?”

“A man like me?” The trickster had smirked, glanced at J through dark lashes “Why would I be free?”

Jaeho had long since grown accustomed to the elder’s way of speaking “Because we both know you have no life outside of this bar?”

Sihyoung had simply laughed, accepting his ‘date’ proposal, leading the way out of the den whilst throwing a long dark coat over his uniform. For some reason Jaeho still had the hat he had stolen his first night back here, and he placed it atop his grey waved hair, smart blue blazer the only defense against the biting cold of post-midnight alleys. He had never minded the cold and now he breathed it in with rapture, the cold air clearing his mind of all it’s tangled threads. 

Sihyoung led his way confidently through the streets, though Jae was sure he could have done so too himself. He remember the old brick-encased alleyways, the tunnel that lead to the river, the shop-lined streets along it’s bank. He could have walked the city in his sleep. As if it’s ways had been burned into his mind, an infinite brand to mark him as one of its catches. It had been a lifetime, it had been no time at all, but Jae knew he shouldn’t remember the cobbles this way- memories still faded without orthodox time and Jae had felt no place pull him so strongly in its grasp, so that when Sihyoung finally turned into a café open late he recognised the plastic pastel chair he sat in and the smell of burning cinnamon. 

The trickster sat across from him, at their table by the window. Jae found himself wondering why the shop would be open this late, noting every other seat was empty, until he spotted the sign on the door read ‘closed’. Sihyoung must know the owner, who was currently walking towards them with two black coffees balancing in her arms. Human. No prying ears in this café.

“Thank you” Sihyoung smiled up at the older women, gratitude reaching his eyes. Musing how that smile would look to human eyes, Jae felt a panging want to be human. The eyes returned to him as Sihyoung encompassed his warm mug with wanting hands. The humour was back in his veins- away from the den and fae, he seemed to seep ease.          “So what do people do on dates these days?”

Jae almost fell into his easy ways, the aura emitting from the boy so inviting and strong as it surrounded him. Sihyoung’s presence always made him comfortable, but in the dead of night and quiet the sluggish tempo was more tempting than normal. Snapping himself out of it, Jae forced the prodding words he had been dreading. “They get to know each other.”

A small smile replace the easy one that faltered, Sihyoung sitting back in his chair as he nodded. He had known these questions were coming, though had perhaps wished for more time before they were spoken aloud. “The bar?” he asked, no hatred in his voice. Love for the older flooded through Jae. Sensing his interest Sihyoung, hummed lowly for a second. “Mm, where to start-” His cat eyes flicked to Jaeho again as he raised his still-steaming coffee to his lips. “at the beginning I suppose. Gil and Dokyun have known each other since they were young- this of course means a lot more for Dokyun than Gil, wolves only get one lifetime.” This was perhaps half true, whereas no one could ever guess Gil’s age (fae didn’t age, and being in Gil’s position gave one the power to remain young and strong for longer) Dokyun was roughly twice what he looked, as all wolves with their slow-aging were. With those 50 plus years assigned to Dokyun, Jae was no more sure of who was older- himself or the den owner- than he was of Gil’s age. Sihyoung was the age he took himself as however- the age he had appeared for the past years and what he was to others- treating people differently than this would cause issues, especially in the den. “Dokyun was 14, by human standards, when he met Gil. He was new to the city and alone, so Gil stuck by him closely. Perhaps he thought the same of him as I thought of you when you wandered in- he discovered quickly that Dokyun was a wolf, alone because his whole pack had been killed when the 1st quarter, his home, was overthrown by fae.” Sihyoung seemed to catch his emotions showing and repaired his image “Or perhaps Gil wasn’t the same back then. Either way, they found the den together when it was still a small bar ran by an elderly man- human, but with more knowledge than the younger pair of different species. He gave them both jobs, allowed them to sleep in the bar at night, gave them uniforms; the only clothes they owned. But it quickly became obvious he had a favourite. Dokyun would get days off, praise, extra tips from the wealthier customers he was serving- Gil was a good working, very popular, but…’ 

‘Fae. He is fae.’

Sihyoung had the quick wit to look apologetic, moving on with his commentary- ‘When the old man died Dokyun was left the bar. He was younger than Gil and held a lot less power in the area- he kept the bar, yet Gil clearly controlled it and its customers, changing it to the den.’

‘Why did Dokyun have less power?’ J questioned, seeing no reason for the kind- though quick to anger- man to be less popular than the intimidating and clearly not-favoured Gil.

“Dokyun was reckless. Without a pack, wolves … become unruly. He was young and lost his temper quickly with rowdy customers, despite their status or however infamous they were. He challenged many people he should never have- he is, by birth, an alpha.’ Despite his best intentions, Jaeho clearly heard the tender bitterness in the others words ‘That doesn’t mean much to fae in their own sectors.’

Feeling the other’s aura through this narrative was exhausting, like a weight around Jae’s neck, dullness spreading in his skull. The coffee he had abandoned helped, it’s rich flavour sweetened strongly in what Jae assumed was Sihyoung’s normal order. Sighing into his cup, a slight hint of regret dragged his eyes back up to the trickster. His gaze had softened, sadly flickering between his emptied cup and the table top.

‘I heard all this from Dokyun. He also told me Gil stitched him up whenever he challenged someone he regretted later. He saved his life many times, Dokyun was sure of that.’ Sihyoung’s gaze turned to the window, more peaceful now that amendments had been made. Jae joined him, watching the bead droplets fall down the glass, their trails running gold and amber in the tall streetlights’ emission. The stationary rain didn’t absorb the colour, but sat motionless and shone silver like cabochons- their appearance next to each other in the window seemed bleached out, the weariness Jae felt seeping into his bones illustrated plainly.

J felt as if he could stay like this, in the silence of the long-closed cafe, at the centre of a city both new and familiar, a trickster across from him, staring out at the still of early morning through gilded rain drop. Fade into the human sectors and disappear forever into the mundane.

But he would never be ignorant to the true runnings of the city. Even know he felt the pull to Gil, a tie never weakening around his wrist to lead him to the club, to the wolf he never thought was involved, but who was invading more of Jae’s thoughts than expected. Growing attached was dangerous. He never knew when he would shift again.

‘No one knows Gil’s background, do they? No one knows why he was poor and alone, how he earned his empire so quickly?’ 

Sihyoung reaction was unnecessary- before his head had moved Jae saw it in his eyes. Fear, amongst other traces. Sihyoung was wary of his employer and Jaeho was glad. But seeing the other like this (exposed, emotional, churning up memories he had doubtless spent hours over himself) caused anything but joy. Regret flooded through J, considering the only being he had been able to talk with freely since his arrival back. He brightened his appearance, easy smile falling into place.

‘I'm sorry- this isn't the only reason I wanted to spend time with you. You know that, right?’

The change in the tricksters appearance unsettled Jae; he had clearly not expected this statement, and was more glad than he could warrant. Turning back to the window, his accent came out strongly in his exhaustion.

‘He likes you too. Dokyun.’

This statement, Jaeho knew, he has only heard once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY! So I kind of disappeared for a while... I haven't had time to write this part, a lot of the details to do with backstory I hadn't even figured out yet so it took some time, but to make up for this rather horrible lull I'm going to post the next part this weekend- that's a promise! I can do this! I hope you enjoy this part (dialogue isn't my favorite thing to write so any feedback is welcome!)


	6. Shattered Pieces

When Jaeho’s next shift arrived he entered the den to find Sihyoung looking rather lonely behind the bar. As the tall figure cleaned and prepared for the night to come he seemed distracted, eyes glazing over and glancing through the bar’s shadows. Restlessness crashed from him in waves.

“Is something wrong, Sihyoung?”

Sihyoung turned his back to stack some liquor onto the shelves built into the wall. His eyes lingered on the door just to his right as he replied- “Gil and Dokyun are having a meeting. They’ve been in there for hours, but I can’t hear anything.”

“Do you often eavesdrop on your boss’ conversations?” 

The trickster’s grin showed itself again. “Only when they’re interesting, fae.” A spark had sharpened Sihyoung’s gaze, showing he was more than aware Dokyun could hear them from his place beyond the wood. Alarmingly, his tattoos had increased their speed as they encircled his arm, shown once more by the rolled up white sleeves of his low-cut shirt. Even his clothing looked like troubled today. Jae hoped he could hold his tongue during business hours.

Three hours into their shift and the den was wreaking of alcohol. The crowds weren’t bigger tonight, the den was filled in the same way with the constantly heaving swarm of fae, but inexplicably the demand for alcohol was higher. The tables that filled most of the room were most ignored as the fae flocked in their groups to Sihyoung and Jae, both of whom were beginning to feel the strain on their minds. A total of five glasses had been broken tonight on the den floor, two customers had been forcibly removed by the bouncer and the bartender’s muscles were filled with a dull ache, they had to work so quickly.  Jaeho had been forgetting order after order- slipping the weakest spirits he could think of into the glasses of fae too drunk to sense the difference- when a glass was slammed back into the bar in front of his co-worker. 

“This isn’t what I payed for” the gravel-scratched voice screamed over the noise of the den, still almost inaudible. 

“Hold on one second, Sir, and I’ll be with you immediately.” Jae didn’t have to feel the frustration emitting from the other’s frame to know his panic- four glasses already stood before him, which he was attempting to make simultaneously- but it was an aura the other fae could doubtless sense as well. Sadly, the customer was also flogged by another group of evidently lower fae, all watching his movements eagerly. He repeated his call over the furore, energy like knives directed at the trickster.

Sihyoung didn’t flinch. “I understand, Sir if-”

“Maybe you  don’t understand how we work trickster, do you even know who I am, boy?”

Sihyoung barely even glanced up as he answered thickly “Leader of a small section in one of the third quarter’s clans, known for being a slight nuisance but there’s no serious power or even crime in either you or your lovely lackeys.” The fae behind the man prickled under the trickster’s gaze. “No one I should be concerned about.” With that the liquid of the man’s glass shifted into a wave by a breeze; where the drink folded the colour changed from its previous dark red to green. “I believe that is what you ordered, Sir.”

Rage and humiliation singed the air around the man, so heady that J felt his skin flush. With a sharp twist the man threw the liquid from his glass, but the same anger spun from Sihyoung and before the liquid could touch his face it lit in the air, the ignition fizzing and sparking in the closed space.

His trick wasn’t well received, even as he rounded the bar with a tray spilling over with drinks meant for waiting onlookers. A breath caught in Jae’s lungs, like smoke not ready to escape, as he saw the man’s eyes reflect the hanging flames as he spun to face the trickster, glowing opaline. 

Before Jae could set his body to motion Sihyoung had been thrown to the ground by the table he had just placed the tray on, the company attached to the man flooding around the scene to circle the unseen commotion. From the shouts the events were clear. Jaeho sprung around the bar into the throng, pushing desperately past the enchanted fae, all the while fighting the shouts filling his head like mercury, vicious and poisonous - fae fed on this.  

Suddenly the crowd thawed, revealing the struggle openly. Sihyoung was gripping the jacket of the third quarter fae tightly. His face was blooded and burst and another blow made him lose his grip, thrown to the ground again. Not one but four fae surrounded him, landing blows as he struggled on the floor, desperately scrambling in the broken glass. He threw it in handfuls up at the fae attacking, flinging his arms over his heads as the assault prevailed. Jae made to start forward but found himself drawn back into place by reaching arms. He twisted in the grip to come face-to-face with Gil, the much larger fae’s arms wound around J to fix him in place, gold eyes aglow. Adrenaline pulsed through Jaeho so strongly it hurt but all he could do was scrapple with Gil as Sihyoung’s blood pooled out under the gambling tables. 

Dokyun had appeared too, the fae parting seamlessly to clear his way. He walked with clenched fists and his head thrown up. His muscles tensed and untensed from his perfect posture, lips curling back. Sihyoung’s story seemed illustrated in front of Jaeho- all the warmth of the sun had gone from the den owner, all that was left of it was the fire in the steps and the air around the alpha without a pack. Gripping the initiator’s shoulder Dokyun threw the fae into the nearest table, the buckled frame falling into the glass a foot from the felled trickster. His fists and feet ripped through the air until the fae lay unconscious and scarlet beneath him, strength hidden in his frame allowing the wolf to toss the body towards the other fighters, the lower fae that had entered with the man. Dokyun’s eyes had changed entirely to complete the transformation- the usually warm brown thrown to orange in the black that now surrounded them, seeping into shadows spilling out from the sockets. A convulsing roar split the air, the remaining fae tripping over their feet as they scampered from the room.  The rest of the customers exited too, after a dismissive wave of Gil’s hand, sweeping the fae away like ragdolls and useless things. Jaeho had been released from his hold but before he reached Sihyoung the trickster was hauled to his feet from amongst the glass. Dokyun- wolf eyes unchanged- dragged the collapsing figure through the door to his office, paying no heed to the whimpers and groans from the younger, slamming the door and shutting Jae out, once again, from that occurring beyond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! If anyone's missing Yi Jeong, he'll be appearing again in the next chapter, which I'm going to push myself to post within a week (I apologise for being such a slow writer :/ .... but this is my first series fic... and I'm slow anyway, moving on)- please let me know if you spotted any errors with this one.
> 
> I also always listen to music when I write and I'm not sure if anyones interested but I thought it's be kind of cool to share what I see as this fics soundtrack haha (as I like to match music to what I'm reading as well).  
> The first and most important song on 'J' : Black Mind, Cross Gene,   
> which I pretty much got this whole fic from, it has the aura I wanted.
> 
> THANKS AGAIN! xx


	7. Threads

     Jae turned to see Gil gone. The feeling of him lingered in the air, a heaviness and power, as if he hadn’t quite left and Jae’s skin prickled- it was if he was being watched. He wondered how the gambler would respond to the night’s events: Sihyoung had caused an uproar, one that would run for months through the mouths of all the fae in his quarter and beyond. Would he be fired? Gil had shown no real reaction (and the trickster seemed to be the only staff member not completely ignored here) but Jaeho was reminded of the warning of his past- or perhaps future- self, upon entering the club that Gil didn’t take well to rowdy young fae. He could only pray the unpredictable nature of tricksters would exempt Sihyoung from this rule. 

Knowing nothing else he could do, J began to sweep the glass off the den floor. He righted tables, cleaned spilt drinks, even attempted to scrub blood from the burgundy carpet. Neither Dokyun nor Sihyoung reappeared. But someone else did.

A creaking behind him, the unsettled flames spinning shadows across the carpet, alerted Jae to the entrance. Twisting in his place, he readied himself to dismiss the oblivious customer. Until his eyes fell on the human. Like their last encounter, Yi Jeong’s aura was completely imperceptible. His slender frame was still wiry thin, though he held himself differently- straighter, more confidently. Dark eyes were still shadowed by ruffled hair, yet this was now pink, a shock J couldn’t disregard. With it there was a blush to his once shallow cheeks; Jaeho was caught between emotions at this, thinking back on the drinks Yi Jeong had taken a liking to at their first meeting. If that was why he was back... Jae had to speak with him. 

“Yi Jeong” the boy seemed startled by his, possibly too loud, voice “isn’t it?” he amended.

The human outwardly struggled, brow furrowing and lifting uncertainly, as if trying to navigate a clouded mind. “D’you work here now? I met you at the tables-”

“Yes, I’m a bartender. The d- bar has been cleared, there was a fight earlier.”

His nasal voice was the same, as was the feeling he inflicted in Jae, an urge to look after the younger. The confused expression that came back was foreign though- something about it seemed crazed, even wild. He stuttered in his place, running starveling fingers through pink.

“ But I I I- uh- I don’t u-”

“Listen Yi Jeong I need to talk to you.” Jaeho was on his feet, rushing towards the human to grip his shoulders and peer into his flushed face.  “You shouldn’t keep coming here.” The boy started to twist in his grip, turning his face again and again so that J couldn’t catch his eyes. “There are people here- dangerous people- who would do you nothing but harm. There’s things, sickly things that I can’t -”

With a cry, Yi Jeong throw J away from him, so that the barman fell to the floor looking up at the distressed figure.

“Yi Jeong!”

For the first time Jaeho noticed what the human was wearing. A baggy white shirt, old-fashioned, with pulls at the front, and just below the seam Jae could see a mark. Shaped like the scattered petals of a flower, the blue mark curiously caught the light from Yi Jeong’s chest. J wasn’t sure what had caused the sudden passion, but alarmingly quickly he saw the spectre cross Yi Jeong’s face. In its place the dark eyes were thrown impossibly wide to settle just above Jaeho, his beautiful face changing at once. His jaw hung slack, and from his mouth Jae heard one whispered word. 

“Toska.”

“Jaeho, is this gentleman bothering you?” The smooth, slightly slurred but eloquent voice of Gil made Jae turn, seeing his employer watching from a few feet away. His suit had changed from earlier, now black and patterned in golden thread. J got to his feet and straightened out his own clothes.

“ No sir, I was just explaining that the bar has been closed f-”

“I’ll escort this one out, Jaeho.” Gil turned one side of his mouth up in a quiet smile, and just as Jaeho was about to volunteer, added “Sihyoung can see you now.”

_ Sihyoung. _

Jae bowed to the owner and, passing him, noticed he held one gold thread in his hands too, spinning it between tanned fingers. It glinted in the fire light, and Jaeho saw gold pupil-less eyes, quick fingers dealing cards.

Sihyoung was sitting in Dokyun’s office when Jae found him, though the werewolf was absent. When questioned, Sihyoung provided a simple ‘left’. The trickster had changed his clothes and though no blood remained on him, Jaeho could see slightly raised lines along his face and neck, like old scars. Alphas could heal members of their pack, but the scars would remain a few days before fading completely. The only obvious sign that something had happened was that the black lining of Sihyoung’s eyes- normally perfect- had smudged in one corner, the remnants clearly visible on the back of his hand, clasped shaking in his lap.

“Are you okay?”

Sihyoung huffed out a laugh, lips twitching “Gil told Dokyun it was no surprise he had hired staff just like himself.” He raised red eyes to Jae at last “But I’m not going to be fired, if that’s what you’re hoping for. You have to put up with me a little longer before you can run the place, pretty new prey.”

Jae took a breath. “Sihyoung.”

The trickster turned to the fae, smile faltering as he saw something in the others eyes. “What is it J?”

Jaeho eyes searched wildly around the room as he tried to work out how to phrase the coming inquiry. “Yi Jeong came back to the club- a human I was playing cards with the first time I came here. He had been playing with Gil, and when he won- which I let him do- Gil made me buy him a drink. I let him win because he didn’t seem to know where he was, he was young, vulnerable. He was the figure we saw before, sneaking out of the den late, and now he’s back, the only one in the den again, and Gil saw him.” He was rambling, the unspoken words bursting in the air like fireworks, showing Jaeho’s anxieties in blinding colours. He still wasn’t sure if Sihyoung was trustworthy, but if he wasn’t then no one here was, and Jaeho would rather simply wake up somewhere far outside the city.

Sihyoung’s face was contorted with effort, from trying to keep up and piece together Jae’s story. “How could he get past the door? Slipping in unnoticed once is unlikely, but three times…”

“No, fae would notice him.” He thought of the swarming bodies back in that first night, spider eyes all fixed on the human.

“Have they bothered him?” Sihyoung’s deep sounded strained with concerned.

“No, he- he was with Gil- I-”

The trickster’s eyes searched Jae’s face “Why are you telling me this Jae, what happened?” 

His stuttering stopped. “I saw a mark. On Yi Jeong. I don’t know what it means but it looked like some kind of flower, like a brand, just below his collarbone. And I can’t sense his aura- not since” an image of Yi Jeong lulling in Gil’s office, the older man stood above him to look at his face- “not since the night we played cards.” Perhaps he should still keep certain details to himself.

The trickster looked thoughtful. “The mark, I may know something about. It’s something like folklore around here- a mark shining on the chests of those claimed by fae.”

“Claimed by fae?”

“Calm down, it’s not always what it seems…” His voice had deepened in his musing, rough accent seeping slowly back. 

“You have a theory, don’t you?” Jaeho questioned, knowing the barman’s endless store of information gleaned from the slurs of many drunk fae. The eyes fixed on his were darker than normal.

“A changeling. I think he may be a changeling.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those curious:   
> “Toska - noun /ˈtō-skə/ - Russian word roughly translated as sadness, melancholia, lugubriousness"No single word in English renders all the shades of toska. At its deepest and most painful, it is a sensation of great spiritual anguish, often without any specific cause. At less morbid levels it is a dull ache of the soul, a longing with nothing to long for, a sick pining, a vague restlessness, mental throes, yearning. In particular cases it may be the desire for somebody of something specific, nostalgia, love-sickness. At the lowest level it grades into ennui, boredom.”
> 
>  
> 
> THANKS FOR READING AGAIN! I hope everyone will be happy with how this series continues....Regardless, the next part should be up within a week ;)
> 
> More of what my brain calls 'fae music':  
>  Body, Mino  
>  Jackpot, Boyfriend  
>  Paradise, Infinite  
> ***Lost, History***


	8. The Trickster

“But Jae..” Sihyoung hesitated, seeming unwilling to continue with whatever train of thought he was lost on. 

“Do you know about the meeting they were having earlier? Did Gil mention it?”

“No. But Dokyun did. It was as if he had forgotten I was there, Gil was trying to downplay the whole incident” Sihyoung talking so carelessly about getting beaten half to death made J flinch away “and Dokyun got angry, brought up the disappearances which keep coming to light. Almost as if he was implying that Gil didn’t care about them, that he was refusing to-”

“Refusing to what?”

“I don’t know. It was just strange, his anger.” Something was working behind Sihyoung’s eyes, the trickster clearly trying to fight of suspicions and fears that Jae still couldn’t help him with. ”But I do have more information than before- the disappearances started a month back, with a pair of wolves from this quarter vanishing into thin air. Over the last 4 weeks a total of 5 humans, 13 wolves and 10 fae have been reported missing, that is, until one of the first wolves’ bodies was dragged out of the river two days ago. There’s normally crime here, but almost thirty people reported seems extreme.”

“And no one knows what’s happening ?”

Sihyoung shrugged. J wasn’t sure if this went beyond his knack for secrets, or if the trickster was better at puzzles than he let on. This was a problem within himself too, his whole being was screaming at him and yet he couldn’t even figure out if this had happened before. In his mind, the image of the city was getting less clear, fog creeping slowly to hide things best not known, ink bleeding in water. Sihyoung’s voice snapped him back to the present: “All I was going to say was, to be careful. I’ve had enough trouble from you getting too much attention.”

Jae huffed out a laugh “Says the one who just started a bar fight.” Sihyoung looked back down at his hands again, half a smile playing on his lips, reservedly rubbing at the marks there with the end of his shirt sleeves, which J only notices now looks too big for him. The shadows of his thin arms and shoulders are hidden in the abundance of fabric hanging off his frame. Jaeho didn’t think it was Dokyun’s. Perhaps a younger Sihyoung. Younger, healthier, unaffected by the den and its strange ways. Sitting dishevelled in his boss’ office now, the trickster looked oddly frayed, torn at the edges, strained in the ways the den got to everyone. 

“I’m always careful.”

_ Maybe too careful. _

Jaeho took his leave, allowing Sihyoung to wait in the office for the wolf's return, though he wasn’t sure how long he would be. Rather than leaving the den however, he simply moved a few steps from the door, hiding beneath the bar. It reeked of alcohol, and J found his shoes sticking to the floor- here tiled grey- with the remnants of many spilt drinks lost when trying to keep up with the night’s unreasonable demands. It even still smelt of smoke down here, traces of Sihyoung’s tricks in the air. J found himself curious to his friend’s limits.

A shuffling sound brought his attention back to his purpose, as he saw a messy mass of pink hair move above the bar, towards the den’s exit. Paying the complete stillness in his mind no heed, he followed the boy into open air. He could see his figure moving down the cobbled street, looking like it might stumble and fall at any moment with that familiar but foreign saunter. Jaeho watched as hands coloured a sickly white in the synthetic amber light raised a hood over his identifying hair (Jae hadn’t considered the hat in his haste, and realised he wore nothing to prevent recognition). His clothes had oddly changed, the boy now both more presentable and more rugged. The hanging white shirt was gone, and Yi Jeong wore instead a tight black t-shirt under a leather jacket, with a fabric hood. He blended into the darkness well, but when the light hit him turning corners Jae could see his ribs and collarbones skeletally outlined in the glow. Along with the sickly pale tone his skin was leant, he seemed anything but human.

He had tailed the boy through countless alleyways before seeing another soul. When he finally did, it came in the form of two men turning into the street before Yi Jeong. Fearing discovery, J sprang into a nook off the alley, offered by the enclosed path up to the door of what looked like a motel. He peered around the brick at the scene.

The two men were continuing towards Yi Jeong as if they hadn’t noticed him in the dark, the smaller boy simply standing stock still as they advanced. Every nerve in J screamed at him to run for Yi Jeong, to drag him back to open streets, to yell- to do anything to warn the human that the beings wandering the city backstreets were never innocent, never harmless. But still he stood. Something in Yi Jeong- all slouched, easy posture and head rolling on his shoulders- kept him in the nook, waiting. 

Just as the men were even with Yi Jeong they split apart, one moving behind to grab the lanky figure, the other at the front searching his jacket, his pocket, even taking his shoes off and tipping them. The muggers found nothing of value on Yi Jeong, and fear spiked through Jaeho. Just as he gripped the cold brick and moved around to the alley, he was stopped in his tracks by chills shooting through his body, every hair on end, his skin buzzing with so much adrenaline he thought he may faint. 

Yi Jeong was laughing. A low sound, so much like the youngster’s voice, but there was no beauty in this. The sound seemed to erupt from the confined figure, breathy at first before gaining strength, raking the figure with his arms pulled behind him and clothes removed or ripped. The bursts bounced of the alley walls, disarmingly seeming to echo, to come from all sides and cracks in the brick. 

The first man punched Yi Jeong in the stomach. The weaker bent in two with the force and still the echo continued, quieter and quieter around the alley, without its source. Another punch sent Yi Jeong to the ground and Jaeho rounding the alley once more. Whatever was happening to the boy he needed to help him or he would be beaten to death. He inched along the wall as silently as possible, praying the men wouldn’t sense him.

On the ground, Yi Jeong turned his head, spitting dark blood on the cobblestones. Jaeho was now even with the scene and large eyes glancing upwards caught his own. Even his eyes seemed odd in the dark, ghosted by shadows yet an odd glint remained, lighting them from within. As a boot made its way to Yi Jeong’s stomach the boy didn’t move his eyes from Jaeho, a sickly grin pulling one side of his mouth upwards. 

Before the kick landed the boy’s hand shot through the air, ripping the other leg from under his attacker. With a yelp the huge man fell on his back, pain cracking up his spine. Hood falling back again to show hair- almost white in the lightless night- Yi Jeong moved to his feet, expression unchanging, no sounds escaping him but a purred hum. He didn’t seem to be in any pain; he planned to inflict it. As the felled man struggled on the stone, Yi Jeong pushed the man stood behind him to the alley wall, pinning his arms behind him in a cruel mockery of his own stance just moments before. He crashed the other man’s face to the brick, blood spraying, over and over again. With every scream, plea, Yi Jeong’s figure straightened a little, head lulling back. J watched rooted in fear and confusing, it was almost like… he was enjoy this.

The man at last surrendered to unconsciousness, limp body sliding down the wall to collapse at Yi Jeong's feet, the boy bouncing back on his heals a few steps and watching with his hands still raised, breathing laboured (though J feared not through exhaustion). He landed a few more needless blows to the figure, a reverberating snap showing loudly he had broken a rib, before turning to the other pest. An insouciant kick sent the man rolling onto his stomach, clasping the bruise forming there. Yi Jeong’s leg had landed on the other side of the man, so he now stood straddling the gasping stranger. He looked up at Jae again, eyes not having to search in the dark for a figure he seemed to know by instinct. His ruffled hair was falling in his eyes again, head slightly lowered, but he looked nothing as he had when Jaeho had met him. Bloodied fingers pulled the man’s head up harshly, the grip moving to his neck. The grin returned, shocking Jae from his torpor.

 He ran from his place on the wall, arms outstretched to the man batting weakly at Yi Jeong’s hands “No Yi JEONG NO-”

The skeleton hands twisted harshly. Another snap ran through the alley, and the figure slumped under Yi Jeong. Jae’s hands formed fists, landing with full force on Yi Jeong’s cheek, the younger stumbling back a few paces, turning to grasp the wall. He straightened with his back to Jae, straightened his clothes and then tread barefoot back to stand before the fae.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHH Sorry I was just on an 8 day roadtrip haha If you see any mistakes let me know-----  
> Thanks for reading again (this is my favorite chapter so far, and the one i really wanted to write)xx I'll try and upload again by Monday :)
> 
>  
> 
> J-  
> Danger, Taemin  
> Boy Meets Evil, BTS  
> Castle, Halsey (Yi Jeong's song.. other than the chorus lol)  
> Ghost, History  
> Mind Game, History  
> Into The Void, Vixx


	9. What Plagues Us

What faced him was, again, unexpected. A small fraction of light now flooded the alley in the approaching dawn, so that Yi Jeong’s pink hair could be seen again, the blood on his knuckles and splattered along his neck now revealed as a gleaming red. His eyes, however, had lost their glow. The lurid light that had made his eyes seem sickly, feral, had dissipated, leaving behind a Yi Jeong Jaeho recognised. The human boy from the club stood before him. 

“Jaeho hyung?”

Jae flinched, a knife twisting in his gut. The boy in front of him looked around, as if confused, eyes travelling over the men at his feet. 

“What happened?” The whisper that sounded was weak, voice no longer loud and echoing down the alley. The echoing was in Jaeho’s mind now, shadows of what had just happened lengthening and twisting beyond recognition, a lost memory that sadly didn’t extend beyond the present. J didn’t need it to know something was wrong here.

Yi Jeong’s rapid gaze eventually settled on his own hands- cracked and cut, yet dripping more blood than could be his. His gaze stilled, face freezing as his open mouth snapped shut. Dark eyes under pink hair flicked to the corpse again.

“What are these doing here?”  His voice was harder this time. He stepped back from J, moving back from the corpse that separated them in seeming disgust.

“Yi Jeong-”

The face before him faltered. Wisps of darkness seemed to snake across his face, tendrils to reach at last for his eyes. A fluttering crossed the wide orbs, like a mass of moths drawn suddenly to a flame. The glint was coming and going, eyes glazed and then not, frame tense and then slack.

“What’s happening Yi Jeong?” Jae moved forward, almost unsensed by the younger, to cup the struggling face with shaking hands. “Is it the bar? The drinks?”

Flashes of the night returned as Yi Jeong once again flailed in his arms, fighting himself. His breathing became laboured, dangerously close to hyperventilating. Jae had to raise his voice, stern now in his desperation, to be heard.

“That night, after the game, what did Gil do?”

He was thrown to the ground, the last question finally pushing Yi Jeong over the edge. Unlike last time, he wasn’t throw away harmlessly in a panic. This move seemed planned, as when Jae landed it was on his side, pain shooting through his frame as his wrists strained to support him with the fall. Yi Jeong straightened. His gasps for air quietened, eyes squinting upwards. A bloodied hand raised itself to his neck.

“Why are you doing this” J wasn’t sure who he was asking, but as he saw the boy walk away slowly, he heard one last whispered word.

“Ukiyo.”

Yi Jeong’s back finally turned on him, his hand lowering as he retreated to reveal a scarlet handprint marking his neck.

***

From the minute Jae entered the den, hastily flashing his eyes at the dozing guard so fast they ached in his skull, something felt wrong. He knew he needed to find Sihyoung, the barman being the only other soul to know of Yi Jeong’s story; the only soul he trusted now. It was the air that did it. Waves of pain- weak, numbing pain, the kind to cause madness and diseases of the mind- throbbed through the air. On its tail was discomfort, not quite yet fear, but close to it. J found it hard to breath in the leaden stuff, his vision blurring quickly in and out of focus. _What could have caused emotions this strong, when he had only been gone a few hours…_

Not finding the trickster on the gambling floor, the grey haired man stumbled to the wolf’s office, before searching Gil’s, fearing the worst things all spiralled down to him. Both were empty. It was only when searching the back rooms, that Jaeho finally stumbled on the others. A few rooms lined a corridor off of the path to the gambler’s office, reserved mostly for liquor and boxes of playing chips and cards. In one J had never entered, two beds ran the length of the cramped room, to the door. 

Dokyun lay on one, closed eyes moving furiously under the fever on his damp skin. He tossed slightly back and forth, and it grew obvious the pain came from the owner, output so strong Jaeho’s own frame bent in two with the burden. The source of the other emotions was clear too- Sihyoung sat at the bed’s end, fingers tapping across his knees irritably. He gazed down at the alpha, and more emotions bleed from his face than Jae knew he could ever feel through an aura. Hearing the door close behind his fellow staff, the trickster glanced over his strained shoulders at last.

“Jaeho” the fae stepped into the room, moving towards the bed cautiously, avoiding SIhyoung’s gaze in the cold light of the dim room. Dokyun’s head turned frettingly into the pillow below his matted hair. 

“Sir?” Though his eyes seemed to flutter faster, no response came from the wolf. Sihyoung moved from the bed, standing to move towards Jae, figure low as it folded in on itself. 

“J. Something’s wrong with him, he just collapsed, screaming. He shouldn’t even be in pain like this. Something’s stopping him from healing properly” he looked back in concern at the writhing figure in the bed “whatever he is in pain from.”

“And you can do nothing to help him?” As soon as the words left the fae’s mouth he regretted them, helplessness colouring Sihyoung’s eyes as grey as his own.

“I only do tricks, nothing substantial. Emotion, the mind, they aren’t my areas.”

_ They are the work of fae _ . The unknown truth wrung in the air, and Jae stepped forward, not finding the words to tell Sihyoung how little he could do here. Approaching Dokyun, J brushed a few strands of red hair of the wolf’s forehead, twirling it between his fingers lightly as he radiated his own compulsion into the room. Whilst it wouldn’t cure whatever was plaguing the alpha, there was a small chance it would ease his mind slightly. Seeing Dokyun visibly settle under his touch (spikes of energy now dulled in fake ease), the fae stepped back once more. It wasn’t much of an improvement- Gil could have helped his childhood friend far more, but he was nowhere to be seen.  

“I’m afraid that’s all I can do Sihyoung.” The elder fought to direct a small, thankful smile at Jaeho, watching him with resigned eyes. “You can’t think of anything that might have caused this?”

The trickster looked strained to breaking point as he fumbled with his own lack of understanding, desperately wanting to be of help. “He was complaining about the smell. Of the den, he wouldn’t even come out near the tables. He just started clutching the bar, getting weaker, shaking his head as if he was trying to clear it.”

Jae nodded “Something seemed… off. The den didn’t feel how it normally does” he struggled to explain the foreign feeling to a trickster with no experience of auras or compulsions or anything similar. “I’ll go check it.” He couldn’t bring himself to mention he had been searching for Sihyoung for help with his own issues, the violent events of the night still vivid ghosts across his sight. Carefully, he settled on bringing it up the next day, when Sihyoung seemed less shaken. Now was not the time.

His intentions of searching were cut short as, re-entering the den’s main section, his eyes found Gil’s. The larger fae was slouched behind the bar, nursing a drink between tanned fingers. His head was lowered, and as his gaze took in Jae, his eyes flashed their fairytale gold, like the eyes of an animal in passing lights. He straightened, body straining in his gilded black suit. It had only been hours since Jae had last seen his employer standing in front of Yi Jeong and he strained to keep his sentiments from seeping into the air. 

“Jaeho.” His strong, slurred voice sang “back again?” 

For the hundredth time Jae wished the den leader's image would slip, finally laying his emotions bare like the rest of his species. But still no traces could be sensed from him- perhaps after years he had mastered the art of numbing his aura that Jae was completely ignorant to, or perhaps the years had burned to ash all that he could possibly show.

“I just stepped out on an errand, I returned because of Sihyoung, Sir.”

“Yes. You are good at reading people, aren’t you Jaeho.” The elder chuckled, lifting his colourless drink to his lips and downing the liquid. “It is unfortunate however, I had planned on leaving the den for a few hours tonight. With Dokyun suddenly fallen ill, I worry.” The dazzlingly smile came again, dominating the fae’s face and drawing Jae in to listen attentively “But I’m sure I can leave the den in your and Sihyoung-ie’s charge for the night, can’t I?” Lifting his empty glass in Jae’s direction, he left the bar, entering Dokyun’s office to pass into the back corridors.

Snapping harshly from his daze- gleaming eyes and grin gone at last- Jae blindly began to search the den for anything which may have caused Dokyun’s torment. It was only when he was searching the gambling tables- according to Sihyoung the area Dokyun had been consciously avoiding- that Jaeho found anything of note. As his hands searched under the tables, he felt an unexpected change of texture. Kneeling, he watched as crushed blue fragments fell to the floor like the crushed petals of dried flowers, staining his fingertips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ukiyo- "The floating world" - living in the moment, detached from the bothers of life.
> 
> Waw this chapter's long- I can't believe this fic is now 22 pages long! That's the most I've ever written continuously! Thanks for reading as always (I'm sorry if the 'conversation' with Yi Jeong seemed repetative, but going in circles is kind of what I wanted)- the final chapter may have to be split into two, I'm not sure how long it's going to be yet haha 
> 
> J-
> 
> Lotto, Exo  
> Hobgoblin, CLC  
> Fantasy, Vixx  
> Amazing Bad Lady, Cross Gene  
> The Seventh Sense, NCT  
> Mine, GOT7  
> Moon, Jonghyun


	10. To the Surface

With the news that Gil would leave the bar that night and the colours of his fear smeared over his fingertips, Jaeho knew he could no longer leave Sihyoung time to tend on Dokyun. He could feel something in the air around him- an unsettled tilt to the silence that seemed... too steady. Something unseen was clawing at his skin, even as he made his way back to the bed he knew Sihyoung would be leaning over.

As soon as Jaeho burst through the door, Sihyoung was on his feet. J knew that panic crawled in his eyes, as it was reflected back at him through that feline gaze he knew so well. Without a word Jaeho was followed back to the tables, kneeling at once. The trickster above him frowned, confused, before following the action himself, folding his large frame to peer beneath the brass. The sprig of blue petals were secured to the top of the table legs with brown string, but Sihyoung’s eyes fell on them quickly, opening wide. Glancing quickly over his shoulder, he reached to untie the petals carefully, shoving the small bunch of flowers into a pocket on the inside of his jacket as he retrieved it from near the door. He signalled silently for Jaeho to follow him as he rushed from the bar, with alarm Jae had not expected from the minor discovery. Though he didn’t understand what was happening, it was clear that Sihyoung did.  

They weaved through the alleys so quickly it took Jaeho until they had reached the dank tunnel to realise their destination. The tunnel came out at the river, the murky water cutting the city in two, dividing the sectors visibly. The banks were high and stone (cutting sharply to the water without rails) and peering over them Jaeho could believe Sihyoung’s tale of the two werewolf bodies found here. He half expected more to drift to the surface, bloated corpses floating unwanted through the ignored waters far below the city. The trickster finally stopped a few paces from the water’s edge.

“What is happening? Jae’s question came in gasps, out of breath from the haste, but still he was near yelling. ”“Why are we here Sihyoung?”

“Because if Gil hears us we’re dead men.” Sihyoung turned his body from his friend to the river, openly more panicked than J had ever seen him. Shaking hands fumbled in his pocket for the flower, which he wildly raised in front of Jae’s face by the string.

“I don’t know what that is, it was just never there before.”

“It’s wolfsbane. This plant can kill humans in five seconds, and to be honest, I don’t know what it can do to me.” Even his voice shook with ill-contained animation.

Jaeho’s hand came up to hit Sihyoung’s arm, the sprig of blue falling to the stone between them. “You idiot.” The image of his own fingers painted blue flashed before Jaeho’s eyes but he knew the panic he felt was needless- nothing could end his Fae life this easily. Not everyone he knew had such an advantage.

“What does it do to wolves?” He was frantic now, the trickster’s adrenaline leaking into his body. He knew his emotion helped nothing, should have known better after all the years, but couldn’t help be moved like this. Just like so many things recently, it was out of his control. As he spoke the trickster’s arms flung through the air, frustration at J and at the world becoming mixed- he seemed as close to madness now, turning again and again too close to the water’s edge, as Yi Jeong.

“It weakens them. They lose energy, eventually it clogs their airways as their throat starts to swell. It causes hallucinations and madness and it doesn’t have a cure. The older, more powerful the wolf, the longer the time they have. But nothing can stop it.” He stopped and finally looked at Jaeho, still, the craze had gone from his eyes. He seemed clearer now. “If he had been an omega- If you hadn’t found it-” his voice broke, eyes streaming as he moved to grip at Jae. He held the smaller boy so close J thought he might break, in more ways than one.

A sudden passion flared up unwatched and Jaeho cried out, half slipping from Sihyoung’s hold. He had moved to kick the damned poison in the river but Sihyoung was faster. Screaming as his foot came in front of the faes-

“J stop! Do you know how many wolves live in- “ he suddenly froze in their struggle, foot still crushing the blue petals so they bleed poison. His voice had cut off sharply, and now from it’s lowered volume, no more than a whisper: “You can touch it.” 

Fearing misplaced suspicion, Jaeho followed Sihyoung warily to the bank’s very edge. The tall frame was leaning over the water, as if peering down at his own reflection in the gloom. 

“Sihyoung?”

The small, sharp noises of breathing from Sihyoung told Jaeho his mind was in chaos, teasing the knots out of a thread just out of Jae’s reach. He was working on a trick again, only this time it was backwards, and not his own.

“The majority of the disappearances have always been from the wolves. The human number increased slowly, but no one payed attention to that. It was always the fae count that worried me- Dokyun’s curiosity on it continuously grew, was continuously tread out by Gil. But he had figured it out. Didn’t trust himself. The loyal fool.” Sihyoung’s voice broke to a whisper again, but no tears were threatening now. The fae knew it took all of his control to speak at a level, comprehensible pace, but he made the effort for J. “The five human disappearances I told you of all happened at city borders- the outskirts or here, once, the river. No one noticed them because they seemed normal, people killed for being ignorant or in the wrong place as the humans so often find themselves, in a city they don’t know. But the fae disappeared in the day, in their own sectors, with none of the normal signs of feuds or your stupid wagers.” A charged pause filled the air, tumbling forward like the river. Sihyoung slumped down to the bank, sitting with hands gripping its sides, as if in emotion he had suddenly been weakened. Jae rushed to sit by him, throwing his legs to swing free over the water.  “They didn’t disappear.” The wide eyes found Jae’s face and matched his stare. “They’re just hiding.”

Underground. Jaeho knew that even in this city his kind could be found there, amongst only other fae in their dens of riches and ensnaring magic. It was in their blood, that want. At least in most of theirs- Jaeho had never wished a life below the world.

J shook his head, still confused at the weight filling his brain, unable to move past it. In front of him the trickster looked no more than a child, theorising grand schemes from transparent spider webs. “Why would they do that Sihyoung?Who-”

“Gil. This is Gil’s doing.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WWWWWAAAAAAAW I'm a failure. Ok that might be a little dramatic but I have been putting this off like the plague, and I apologise. Turns out the ending is going to be at least another chapter (possibly-but-most-likely-not two) and I promise this will be posted a lot sooner than this part was... Thanks, L
> 
> The last songs on J:  
> I got love, Taeyeon  
> Lie, Jimin (BTS)  
> Blue pt.1, Liohn  
> Roleplay, Luhan  
> Dilemma, Infinite


	11. Twisted Natures, Unmasked

“I don’t understand either. Not fully. One thing I’m sure of-” he stopped to look at the fae who stared back at him, finding the light through the fog at last.  
“Wherever Gil is going tonight, we must follow him” Jaeho answered. The gambler leaving the den now seemed to have hidden purposes, and thinking of the wolf that lay waiting for them and the many who the city had lost, Jae’s hair stood on end. A chill had seeped into the city, one that wouldn’t be easy to lift. He had no idea of the period here that stretched before him- this was also a fight against time, in all its twisted natures.  
Sihyoung was searching the fae’s face in the dying light- “So we’re decided. I’ll stay at the den, and you tail Gil.”  
Jae had already reached this conclusion- with Sihyoung at the bar the night’s proceedings would run much smoother (less chance of any issue drawing Gil back to the den), the trickster able to detect any change in Dokyun further ensuring their safety. Jaeho was smaller and fae; wherever Gil was heading, J could easily enter too. Though he hated to think of it, a small voice also reminded him he was the only one who could recognise Yi Jeong.  
***  
J waited three minutes before he started to follow Gil. With another guide he may have feared losing sight of them in crowds or branching alleyways, but he knew that he would never lose this scent. He would feel that lingering pull, tearing him back to Gil like he always knew it would. For once it seemed this would work in his favour.  
The buildings he passed were nothing remarkable. The city shadows and streets were the same everywhere, though he did mark that Gil passed through the brightest paths, the shops and markets illuminating the fog seeping through the night to make it glint in the air around the sides of the street. Unfortunately for J, Gil seemed always to walk in the middle of the streets, concealed in the darkness, and hard to trace. Smoke and smells of food mixed with the dirt of the river, which they passed close to through the rundown houses. These parts were foreign to J.  
Eventually the poverty fell to the background, the streets thinning at the crossing into another sector. Fae thrived here, and as such most of the buildings seemed subterranean. The side of what seemed to be an old factory- posters colourless and peeling off the grey brick- was dominated by a large, double-doored entrance of heavy steel. It appeared to be bolted fast but was quickly drawn open with a knock from Gil. He stepped inside the building, and in the yellow light he was suddenly bathed in Jaeho could finally see his attire. He wore a pure black suit, hair swept up off his face in waves, his cheekbones and brow covered with a tight mask. The mask was the most curious item: it seemed to be made of black silk- fitting around the fae’s eyes well- but as he moved gold shot across the fabric, as if the whole item was woven in golden thread just beneath the surface. Within seconds the light was cut out again and with it, the image of Gil. It was time to move.  
Jaeho felt in his pocket for the stone. He brought out a small fracture of a raw jewel, hung on a delicate chain. The trickster had pressed it into his hands just before he had left the den- “Wear this around your neck and it will temporarily change your appearance. Provided it is touching your skin and you do not remove it, no one should recognise you.”  
“What about my eyes?” Jae had questioned, anticipating a need to identify himself as fae during the coming night.  
“It will have no effect on that. The effects will not be strong, but with the time given” Sihyoung shrugged “this is the best I can do.”  
Praying that his faith in the trickster was not misplaced, Jae dropped the stone around his neck, hiding it under his shirt’s high collar. He wasn’t dressed as finely as Gil- a grey jacket matched his parted hair, and his shirt was plain black- and he didn’t have a mask. Nerves began to knot in his stomach.  
He knocked as he had seen Gil, stepping back proudly before the door opened. To his surprise the man he was met with was clearly wolf- he lacked Dokyun’s charm but had the telltale pointed ears and dark complexion. He didn’t seem put off by Jaeho’s lack of mask- in fact the adolescent’s gaze was making J fairly uncomfortable- but nodded in recognition as Jaeho’s eyes flashed mercury. He moved a pace backwards, and Jae entered the well lit entrance, the steel door shutting out the night behind.  
The young fae found himself being lead through passages of a grand house, silks and beads hanging from the ceilings, lit everywhere with seemingly no source. As they continued deeper into the building the light began to dim, until he entered into a huge ballroom, darkness weakened only by three sizeable black chandeliers. The round lights blazing in them reminded J of the floating flames in the den. All the people in the chamber looked fae, and most wore masks like Gil’s, concealing all but their eyes (though J noted a few fae around the edges of the room with bare faces held high, surrounded by small clusters of their subordinates). They danced around the room partnerless, swaying quickly then slowly, a flurry of movement dominating the chaotic scene.  
And then he noticed it- Jaeho had lost track of Gil. The gathering seemed to be at its peak now, with no other fae entering the room and the dancing rushing into a frenzy- the chatter and clinking of glasses was deafening, and everywhere was searching fae eyes and winking lights. Then without warning a large section of the dancers stopped, murmurs traveling through the ebb. Fae started moving away from the right side of the room, pushing backwards as if making room for a figure of great importance, and the outer fae were glancing over with clear curiosity. Jae pushed his way through the crowd, managing to see through a slim split of space between the bodies. A lump was formed in his throat by dread.  
Three large fae, dressed all in black and masked, were dragging bundles to the centre of the room. Though as Jaeho watched the bundles took form- the struggling bodies of two wolves and one human, fighting weakly against their captors and binds. As Jae watched they were beaten even weaker, and abandoned on the floor by their handlers. The fae around Jae hissed and writhed, the energy palpable as waves of contained anticipation in the sea of bodies surrounding him. Loud yells soon came from the back of the chamber, and Jae turned to see the young wolf he had met at the door dragged back through the passages by a being twice his size, ungagged unlike his companions. He too was thrown to the wooden floor in the circle of predators, twisting quickly and scrambling away from the eager beings. The crowd began to sway again and through the moving bodies Jaeho saw the large figure of a fae he knew all too well- Gil stood steadily amongst his inferiors, posture as exalted as ever. His head turned slightly to the left, a growing smile dancing across his shadowed face. Jae began to run from the room, realising his mistake far, far too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one chapter left~~~~~~~~~~


	12. The Curtains Rise

Running back through the city seemed to take an age. The markets had turned off their lights and only a few stragglers remained in the streets- Jaeho stayed far from these people, not lingering in the shadows which seemed to dance along the walls and lurch at him. The cobblestones were cold and hard underfoot; he fell once or twice to the uneven floor, injuring no more than his hands. He heard the river running like laughter through the streets. And finally, he reached the den.

 As soon as he crossed the threshold he dropped to his knees, clutching his skull with a shout. His head was screaming at him- his ears were ringing so loudly the world fell away, his vision was fading and the den was bleeding at the corners of his sight. Images started flashing through his head, so quickly and with so much force he feared they would split his skull. Gil behind a bar, one only slightly different to the one he crouched before now. Gold eyes reflecting back streetlights. An invitation to a ball, written in cursive silver ink. A group of people on their knees. Red.

Jaeho found his breath was heaving in and out at an alarming pace, sweat running down the back of his neck- it was all he could do to grip the bar and stay conscious. When he finally did open his eyes, it was to find Sihyoung gripping his hand, bent over Jaeho with concern- and behind him, in the doorway, leaned Dokyun.

“Jaeho?” Sihyoung’s voice sounded urgent, and his eyes that quickly flicked to the scraped hands in his own grew large. Jaeho felt a buzz surround his palms, sparks hot and cold fluttering about his fingers. He looked down with disorientingly clear vision to see his hands unmarked and clean of blood. Behind the trick he still felt the dull pain of the cuts, but when Sihyoung moved back and allowed Jaeho to stand, he realised Dokyun would believe the image. The trick was, in truth, for him.

The wolf lowered his head in greeting, and Jae followed suit. Sihyoung turned to look at the alpha, and relief pooled from his eyes “There was no wolfsbane in his system, we only needed to wait for the effects in the air to weaken for him to recover.” When Dokyun spoke, his voice indeed sounded normal. 

“What of you little fae, why did you scream?”

“Gil- I followed him as we said-” he moved his gaze to the trickster, still finding it hard to catch his breath “he was at a kind of gathering, a party, masked.” He saw the faces in front of him darken, and realised he needn't explain the rest. They knew, and were only looking to the fae for confirmation. “The only guests were fae, but part way through the night they dragged others in, bound- mostly wolves, and a human.”

Dokyun’s deep voice, calm as ever- “They were going to kill them?” 

Jae nodded “I think it was a society meeting- I remembered an invitation I got once, inviting me to a ball. When I went I found a similar scene, fae killing other beings, but I don’t remember it well. I just see red.”

Sihyoung was staring at the floor, his voice quiet and haunted “They want the city, they always have.”

“What do we do?” Jae’s tone was stronger now, and he directed his question to Dokyun.

“There’s a wolf pack not far from here, I’ve met with them a few times. We go to them, explain, and ask for their help. Though I fear it’s much too late for those at the ball, there are many more that will be in danger.” As he spoke the older moved towards the bar entrance, passing Jae and Sihyoung without a glance as he went. J was reminded of the first time he saw the wolf, dominance rolling off the man with the warm voice and fire tinted hair as he challenged Gil- even now Jae could see the two were equals. Yet behind his strong, action-fuelled practicality, Jae could see something else in Dokyun- as he finally reached the entrance he turned to throw both of his staff their coats, and regret was in his eyes.

“Dokyun-”

Whatever Jaeho had planned to say to Dokyun died on his tongue, as his eyes fell on the two figures in the doorway. Seeing the younger’s face change, Dokyun turned, Sihyoung gripping and dragging him backwards. A low growl sounded from the wolf as he snatched his arm back, and all three gazes returned to the silhouettes. They had managed to appear undetected by the senses of a wolf, and reach of a fae- that alone told the group who the visitors were.

Jae had previously felt no aura, but he felt one now. It was black. The emotions auras usually worked to display were completely missing, the purpose of the emissions seeming to be more showing no emotions were there to display. Looking at Yi Jeong’s form, Jae knew it belonged to him, to the boy who had snapped a man’s neck with a smile on his face. It was twisted and void and shattered, just like the fledgling in front of him. And, beside him, the auraless Gil.

A slow clap resounded through the bar and as the taller figure moved forward, the sound was given a source in the newly illuminated Gil. His hands as they met dripped blood, and more red was splattered along the cuffs of his expensive suit. The mask remained on his face. 

“Worked it all out then, have we?” He turned to Yi Jeong as he spoke the next line, an amused smile on his face “All our little schemes?”

“All but one-” Jae could hear the fear in Dokyun’s voice, but the wolf did not move as Gil continued further into the bar “we are the final problem, are we not? Why did you keep us around for so long, when we aren’t fae.”

Gil nodded, sat now on a bar stool on their right “A wolf and a trickster, my two most loyal staff.” Dokyun stiffened a little at the word, but made no move to interrupt. “Sihyoung was never supposed to last this long, but after hiring him I found he had his uses. His little tricks and secrets” Gil moved his eyes to the person he spoke of, gold glinting as he smiled that terrifying grin “they had their uses.” 

Sihyoung had grown paler than normal, no doubt recalling all the customers he had hurt for Gil- Jaeho had heard it asked of him- and all the information he had slipped: which customers were fae, the pack locations of wolves, the rumours slipping through the city. J had no idea how much Sihyoung had helped. Gil watched him for a moment before his eyes flickered over Dokyun.

“You” Gil’s looked to the bar in front of him, mouth tightening “we’ve known each other for a long time. I wouldn’t let anyone else hurt you. You were supposed to be a lot weaker by now, but I guess plans change.” A challenge was in his eyes, and when Jaeho looked at Dokyun he found it reflected, pupils dilated so large it looked painful. 

“And Jaeho-” Gil stopped to laugh harshly “he’s far from fae. I wasn’t going to let him go.” Jae felt Gil’s gaze bore into him, down to the bone- how much did he know, for how long, about his nature. “Nice to meet you again, old friend.”  The shock Jae felt ripple through his body was clearly nothing compaired to that of Dokyun and Sihyoung, who glanced at Jae with questions in their eyes, as if suspecting hidden connections. “Yes, myself and Jaeho met a long time ago. He might have been able to save you, had he fought harder. But he simply couldn’t remembered, and now every non-fae in the city will suffer for it.” 

“That isn’t everyone in the room who doesn’t fit your twisted hierarchy.” Jae’s voice had come out a whisper- he hoped the others would notice how different it was from Gil’s vicious spitting- but Gil turned fluidly in his stool to look back at the door. “Yes it is.”

Yi Jeong moved forward at last, his frame lazy and arrogant. The pink hair Jae had saw last time still crowned his head, though beneath it, his eyes had changed greatly. Those eyes haunted Jae, piercing like a scream, but in his passion he could not look away. Yi Jeong’s once dark eyes now glinted as Gil’s did, but rather than gold, or mercury as Jaeho’s own, they gleamed pink. Metallic and pupiless, there was no mistaking what they meant. 

“Fae.” Jaeho breathed. 

Yi Jeong didn’t respond to the noise; he kept walking until he had reached Gil’s side and, reaching up, he pulled the ribbon-tied mask from Gil’s head. The boy didn’t look away from the seated man until in his hands the mask suddenly ignited with sparking flames of orange, fire that could only be Sihyoung’s. Gil’s arm snapped through the air too fast to see, stopping to grip Yi Jeong’s raised wrist tightly. The boy hadn’t even flinched, but suddenly Jae had felt a streak of rage shoot through the black. Jaeho didn’t know whether to be terrified or relieved- he still felt some emotion at least, the ability to feel hadn’t been completely burned out of him.

Whilst Dokyun was still in the dark, Sihyoung was piecing together the puzzle. “This is the changeling, J?”

Before he could answer, Gil’s voice filled the heavily charged air- he had dropped Yi Jeong’s arm and the boy moved to stand behind him, sulking as he leaned against the back of Gil’s stool, looking at the others over the gambler’s shoulder. “It is a good guess- sharp as ever, Sihyoung.” Sickeningly Jaeho felt compulsion leak into the air “But not precisely. Yi Jeong isn’t a changeling, he’s a half fae. The first one I’ve found in almost two hundred years. Fae blood runs deep in his veins” Gil turned Yi Jeong’s hand around from where it gripped his chair, running a thumb over his ghostly wrist. “All I had to do was draw it to the surface.” 

Jae could see what he told them was true- Yi Jeong had been very firmly human when they had first met, though was far from it now. His actions over the past weeks had been both human and fae. Jae had seen both sides, and the toil such a change was taking on Yi Jeong- both species had always been part of him, but now they were warring inside his skeleton, drawing him down to madness. 

“The drink?” Guilt was laced through Jae’s breath.

“And a few tricks of my own.” Gil stood, fixing his jacket “But enough with this explanation, I’m growing bored. And you know I can’t let you go to that wolf pack. Besides, with how enthusiastic everyone was tonight, in a few hours they may be gone anyway.”

Dokyun snapped. With a snarl he lept at Gil, a growl thundering from his throat. Gil moved just as quickly however, and the two were soon caught tightly exchanging blows. Sihyoung moved towards Jae without pause, leaving the two of them before Yi Jeong. The small boy moved first, kicking the stool he had been leaning on towards Sihyoung. The trickster dodged it, but stumbled into J slightly. His shock provided the only opening Yi Jeong needed, and he punched the trickster, hard. With the impact the den dimmed, the small white flames casting shifting shadows over the room. Sihyoung managed to stand again, and landed his own blow on the fledgeling, but before Jae had even had time to pick his way through the bar stools Yi Jeong was overturning behind him, Sihyoung was on the floor again. Blood covered the side of his head, and reaching Yi Jeong Jae saw he grasped the broken remains of a shattered glass in his hand- as Sihyoung gripped his head, Jaeho prayed the cuts he saw along his hands were the worst of his injuries.  “Jaeho hyung.” Yi Jeong’s eyes showed recognition, though they still reflected light, pink and empty. Jae remembered the last time he had been called this, and shrank at how different Yi Jeong’s tone had been.

“Yi Jeong, we don’t need to do this.”

A huffed laugh reached Jae, and he saw in his head a slanted smile, a neck snapping. 

“Why would you fight for him when only months ago you were part of those he’s trying to kill? How could you be on their side Yi Jeong, taking part in this sick plan.”

“Because he gave me what I wanted. I don’t want to be human, not when I can choose this.” Even as he spoke the boy rushed at Jae, forcing the fae back as they blocked each others desperate blows. The pain stabbing bluntly across Jaeho’s arms as he protected his face and stomach seemed to purposefully illustrate Yi Jeong’s slurred words.  The fae part of him had only been recently awoken, and he was incredibly strong, thriving on the adrenaline his new form provided. Behind Jae there were still noises of a struggle, with occasional shouts of pain but, disorientated in the dark, Jae couldn’t tell who they were from.  With every sound Jaeho prayed Yi Jeong would glance at the older men, but his gaze never left the target in front of him. Jae had managed to hit Yi Jeong in the ribs and the jaw a few times, but suffered a brutal kick to the stomach in return. A following kick to his legs caused them to give way beneath him and he gripped the bar to keep upright. Yi Jeong immediately grabbed the back of his head, and threw it back down to the surface harshly. He lifted Jae’s head again- Jae twisted and hit across Yi Jeong’s shoulder, escaping the merciless hold. His head was pounding and the scene before him was starting to duplicate and distort. He felt the bar dig sharply into his back. Yi Jeong in front of him grinned. 

Out of the shadows Sihyoung appeared to Yi Jeong’s left, and the boy spun quickly. In his confusion Jae pushed himself of the bar and threw Yi Jeong to the floor with all the strength he could gather. The boy was caught off guard- Jae could swear he saw the blown eyes coloured dark once more- his head thudded off the floor once, and he was still. The image of Sihyoung in front of Jae flickered, and was replaced moments later with a far bloodier version. The real trickster reached out to steady Jae, nodding to the fae shortly before they moved to the fighting pair who had travelled deep into the gambling tables. 

 As they drew nearer it was clear who was more successful. Dokyun’s face featured a long rip from his brow down to his jaw, his shirt had been ripped open at the collar and showed a dark purple blemish, his hands had been beaten livid. His eyes glowed orange amongst black, his whole body screaming wolf. Gil in front of him pared with only one arm, the other hanging limp at his side. He moved bent as if to protect his stomach, but as Dokyun successfully lashed at the area again Jae heard a harsh snap, and suspected broken ribs. One of his golden eyes was screwed shut, blood pooling from a gash at his scalp.  With the addition of two attackers from behind Gil did not last much longer. Sihyoung and Dokyun moved together so seamlessly Jae doubted he was needed, and within a minute the fae den owner was crawling pitifully along the deep red carpet.

Dokyun finally straightened to his full height again, chest heaving up and down. He stepped away slightly from his older friend on the ground, towards the nearest chair not overturned. His hands gripped the top panel of wood and tore it free with a great splintering crack. He moved back to loom over Gil.

“Sihyoung, take Jae outside.”

“Yes hyung.”

It was the first time he had heard the term from Sihyoung, and all it took for him to not resist being dragged back through the tables and out of the door. The night air met them crisply, and both men fell back against the dull stone of the den. Their breath left spectre clouds in the dim, and the streetlights burned amber against the silent sky. Jaeho turned to the taller man leaning beside him, eyes searching Sihyoung for injuries. His inspection drew a quiet smile to the older’s face, but he found the only serious harm had been done to his hands and head- though his hands had indeed taken most of the impact, small fractures of glass glinted through red in the mess of his scalp. Dokyun could fix it when he appeared. Jae himself had escaped with a slight concussion, and the growing pain of future bruises running up one side of his stomach. Sihyoung laid a hand on the younger’s shoulder as they continued breathing relief and loss into the night, though he made no mention of the secrets Gil had spoken of the other. 

When Dokyun did appear minutes later he looked remarkably human. His pupils had shrank and his ears and posture told nothing of his true nature. Yi Jeong was in one of the den’s back rooms, he told them, and they would see what they could do to help deal with his rapidly expanding world- the boy’s insanity was not irreversible. He said nothing of Gil.

Sihyoung drew the wolf into a smothering embrace, tears stinging in his eyes as he moved to grip Jaeho too. J could feel the world around him shift, the only sensation Sihyoung and Dokyun’s grip around his frame as colour started to bleach out. He wasn’t scared- even as Dokyun’s warmth began to fade, and Sihyoung’s grip lost its hold, he knew he would return again. He would never be free of this city- he knew in his bones he would return, perhaps whenever the pair next ran into trouble. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sooooo much to anyone that's read my first series- wow- I cant believe it's finished!  
> Between writting the last chapters I also wrote a piece promted by a picture someone sent me (the other two writers on this site also did this and it was really interesting, so please check them out). I'm working on a pretty different fic at the moment, but hopefully it won't be too long till I upload again. (For anyone wondering why the curtain isn't falling in the last chapter, the title comes form Black Mind)
> 
> Once again, THANK YOU  
>  xxx L


End file.
